I've Dreamt
I've Dreamt is an experimental game being developed by Jay-Jay-Bloodhound in the RPG Maker VX engine. The game doesn't explicitly have much to do with the world of Reflection, but does have Demon Hunt, Sol Occidens, and Auburn Sunset references and cameos within the game. The name I've Dreamt comes from the fact that the game was inspired by a dream Jay had but is also a reference to an experimental game made by Void's voice actor ArxEinsam . __TOC__ Inception One evening Jay had a dream. In his dream he rekindled with an ex-girlfriend (though she wasn't an actual ex-girlfriend, it was just apart of the dream's storyline) and proceeded to simply have a very enjoyable dream. The dream was very warm and different than most dreams that Jay had, it also felt very surreal and believeable. The day after he'd had the dream, Jay decided to tell his close friend Hannah about it. Hannah ended up extremely inspired by the dream as he told her, and Jay ended up very inspired by Hannah's inspiration. While Hannah went with a more sci-fi approach to the story, Jay went with a more modern and surreal approach to the story. Despite this, both have decided to approach the story from the perspective of the dreamer rather than about the dream itself. Hannah plans to create her own version of the story alongside Jay, and the two of them have agreed to work on a collaborative project combining both versions of I've Dreamt (and adding plenty more) as the third project once the first two have been completed. Gameplay The game is developed in the RPG Maker VX engine but doesn't actually feature any RPG elements to the game (unless you're talking about literal roleplaying elements, because the game is an absolute roleplaying experience.) The gameplay is almost more akin to a Shenmue-esque experience where you experience the everyday life of a man and his surroundings. You explore the town that he lives in and some of the more important and less important people that are present in his life and surroundings. Many aspects of each day are randomized (such as the clothing that the main character will wear, or the weather itself) which make the game a moderately different experience during each playthrough. Different aspects might make certain dialogues change, but ultimately the major game experience will remain the same. One of the most interesting aspects of gameplay is that each day has its own set of missions. These missions are not explicitly told to you and it is up to you to find and complete the missions of each day. Beyond the missions themselves there are several choices over the course of the game that you will ned to make that will determine how people view you, how you act, and ultimately how the game will end. Jay has explained that the player does not need to feel sympathy nor empathy for the main character, and should they choose to, the player should feel free to hate the main character. Each person in the world acts like a normal human being compelte with their own idiosyncratic flaws. Jay has remained very adament that how the player feels and treats each character, including the main character, is totally up to the player. You may hate the main character, or his best friends, or truly everyone in the game. The game runs on a day system, with the game supposedly lasting around 6 or 7 days. The game is said to have anywhere from 3 to 6 endings once it is finally completed. The ending will be determined based on your choices and the amount of missions that you completed (and how you completed them). A remixed track from the Shenmue original soundtrack is the primary theme and background music that plays during gameplay. Further Shenmue references include a gashapon machine that releases Demon Hunt, Sol Occidens, and Auburn Sunset related toys. Gashapon machines are those simply toy capsule machines found in malls and supermarkets both in many countries such as the US, Canada, and Japan. Setting The game takes place in a modern town. It's worth noting the environments are very sparse and the whole game is crafted to feel moderately empty to mirror the feelings of the main character and the overall tone of the game. This decision was also forced upon Jay based on the tilesets he chose to use and the way that he chose to design the game. The town is unnamed and is supposed to feel very generic and is supposed to feel insignificant and underwhelming. This is supposed to mirror how many young adults end up feeling about their lives. Story Disclaimer: ''within the game you can name the main character and all of the NPCs within the game. For the sake of reading the article more easily the characters are referred to by their 'canon' names.'' Day 1 Day one sees Noah go to the Cafe to meet up with his friends, Brian (in the red) and Trent (in the yellow), and have a cofffee. Noah oversleeps after having a wonderful dreams but wakes up with the same fowl attitude he has had for some time now. Noah begins the game with a monologue about the dream that also explains his current emotions, he then admits he'd better get changed and start his day. Upon arriving at the cafe, he is scolded by his friends for being so late. This is when we're first introduced to Brian and Trent and the dynamic of the relationship between the three of them. After the scolding, Noah explains to them that he had a dream the night before and that is why he is so late. His friends don't accept his excuse and moderately berate him. Eventually Noah tunes them out and finds himself standing in the cafe all alone. It is now night time. Noah promptly returns home to attempt to dream again. Day 2 Day two sees Noah wake up, having slept in his previous days clothes, and now he has to change yet again. This is the first open ended day, and allows the player to determine which missions they will complete and which choices they will make. Day 2 is the first day that Trent's house is open. The cafe is closed on day 2. I've Dreamt: Directors Cut Despite the fact that the game has yet to be finished, Jay has already annoucned that he would love to recreate the game in a full directors cut experience in the RPG Maker VX Ace engine rather than the RPG Maker VX engine. This game would be an improved version of the original I've Dreamt and would still be a seperate project from the collaborative project between him and Hannah. Soundtrack Title theme: Tranquil Dreams - by Jay-Jay-Bloodhound Main theme: Reflections [ReMix] - Remixed by Reuban Kee Dream theme: Reflection - from Sonic Adventure 2 Good Ending theme: Epiphanic Euphoria - by Jay-Jay-Bloodhound Official Demos/Releases Currently there are no public demos of I've Dreamt. All play testing of the game has currently been done privately. Jay plans on possible releasing a demo of the game as early as February 1st, 2014. Trivia *Noah's sprite is currently modeled to resemble Jay because the dream that Noah has (and the entire game itself) was heavily inspired and based on a dream Jay had had and many of the real life emotions that Jay had been feeling before and during the development of the game. It's worth noting the official art does not reflect this as the character designs are the official character designs and not the original or temporary designs. *Many characters from the world of Reflection appear in the game as small figurines distributed from a gashapon machine. There are two forms of Cisaya and X, with Chisoku, Dreymeil, Eclipse, Void, and Nike only getting one figurine. *Due to drawing some inspiration from the game Shenmue, Ryo Hazuki (the game's main character) has a brief cameo on the third day.